Golfers often wear a single golf glove which may typically be made of leather and may also be fairly expensive. The glove may become damp or wet in use from perspiration, dew or precipitation and when not in use might typically be balled or rolled up and inserted in a pocket in a golf bag or the like. As a result, the glove does not dry properly, becomes wrinkled and deformed, and prematurely cracks and wears out.
Additionally, leather gloves, particularly those used in athletics such as golf or handball, are commonly short-lived due to the combined effects of desiccation and moisture, in addition to ordinary wear and tear. By desiccation is meant here the loss from the leather of essential oils and fats which normally operate to keep the leather flexible, soft and supple. In this regard, the frequent use of a glove in its ordinary application results in desiccation through the effects of sunlight, perspiration and abrasion. If allowed to persist, such desiccation usually leads to the drying and cracking of the leather.
Leather gloves also undergo deterioration by the effects of mold or mildew, which thrive particularly well in leather moistened with perspiration. This problem is particularly acute when the glove is used daily and stored in a damp enclosed space, such as in a locker, a golf bag or other athletic bag. When so stored there is often insufficient time for the glove to be thoroughly dried between uses. This problem is even more acute in humid climates, where even thorough airing may not dry the glove sufficiently to prevent the growth of mold or mildew.
Devices for shaping and drying gloves are well known in the art. Such devices typically take the general shape of a partial or complete hand. The prior art also discloses the use of different materials for making glove forms, including wood, wire and solid metals, molded plastics, and combinations thereof. Some devices are completely rigid, while others are formable or articulating.
This prior art also shows simple one piece constructions, as well as more complex adjustable and articulating constructions in which the form may be adjusted to accommodate varying glove sizes.
In addition to the drying and shape retention aspects there are also the aspects of merchandizing, e.g. packaging, presentation, theme marketing. It is well known in sports, especially in golf, for the top players to have a nickname. In some cases this nickname is associated with an animal, e.g. “Tiger”, “The Golden Bear”, “The Shark”, “The Turtle”, “Chicken Hawk”, “The BullDog”, “The Pink Panther”, “The Angry Ant”. While a direct endorsement by an athlete to promote a product is well known, e.g. television commercials, radio commercials, billboards, printed media, promoting a product by utilizing the associated animal nickname of a top athlete is a more indirect approach. Another marketing approach is to combine the use of rhyming words to a feature of the product, e.g., naming the product “glove dove” and having the product contain an image of a dove in some form or fashion. There is a long standing need within the marketing industry for fresh approaches to increase merchandising success.
Therefore, there is a real need for a simple and inexpensive glove form which may be used to condition a golf glove by retaining its shape and facilitating drying. There is also a need for a novel theme merchandising kit containing such a glove form.
Related art that addresses these and other problems includes the following patents.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,569,283, issued to Johnson on Jan. 12, 1926, discloses a means for shaping and drying fabric articles.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,755,605, issued to Knox on Apr. 22, 1930, discloses a drier for hand coverings which effectively dries gloves without shrinkage.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,581,099, issued to Guffey on Jan. 1, 1952, discloses a folding container for purses or handbags.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,783,925, issued to Ross on Mar. 5, 1957, discloses a glove drier having a movable thumb-supporting element hingedly connected with a palm-supporting portion of the drier.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,477,622, issued to Appelt on Nov. 11, 1969, discloses a glove drying device including a structure having a contour with simulates gloves so that it can support the gloves for drying. The structure is modular and interconnected so that when it is disassembled it is flat and can be stored.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,061,170, issued to Marks on Dec. 6, 1977, discloses a glove conditioning container designed particularly for conditioning gloves used for various sports such as golf and handball. The subject container comprises a foldable type member which includes means for separating gloves contained therein and further includes means for permitting a controlled amount of air to reach the gloves while stored therein.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,565,287, issued to Rede et al. on Jan. 21, 1986, discloses an apparatus for preservation of a leather glove. A hollow perforated hand-shaped form, sized to fit snugly within a glove, contains a dehydrating agent which draws moisture out of the glove. The form and glove are insertable in a protective case. The case includes a porous inner lining which is impregnated with a leather emollient. The combined action of the dehydrating agent and the emollient-impregnated lining is to remove moisture, thereby preventing the formation of mold or mildew, and at the same time infuse the emollient into the glove to maintain its suppleness and flexibility.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,011,053, issued to Davies on Apr. 30, 1991, discloses an apparatus including a main body member configured as a hand to receive a glove thereon to maintain the glove in a stretched and shaped configuration to prevent drying and shrinking of the glove. The main body includes a matrix of openings therethrough permitting air circulation throughout, as well as a loop formed on a lowermost end of the body to enhance directing of the body interiorly of an associated glove. The palm includes a recess to permit an individual to manually grasp a glove in directing the glove over the body. Modifications of the instant invention include the main body formed of a woven, porous mesh permitting air circulation therethrough, with the mesh formed with an interior fabric liner to receive and subsequently direct preservation oils into a glove mounted on the body. Furthermore, a central core sponge may be utilized to provide a reservoir of oil to be directed through the cloth liner and the mesh body into an associated glove. The mesh body is malleable to permit the fingers to be manipulated to enable stretching of a glove mounted on the body.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,177,881, issued to Moore on Jan. 12, 1993, discloses a golfing accessory capable of being attached to the exterior of a golf bag includes a plate-like portion providing space for the name of the golfer and the logo of a particular golf course or golfing event. The plate-like element is attached to a first strap attached to the bag. A second strap hangs from the plate-like portion and contains a fastener thereon for detachably securing a golf glove for the purpose of drying the glove. A hook may also be provided on the first strap for hanging a golfing towel.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,234,141, issued to Spiece on Aug. 10, 1993, discloses a conditioner for a golf glove is made from a piece of solid aromatic cedar cut generally to the shape of a hand and having a palm portion and at least three fingers extending therefrom. A manually operable spring clip is attached to the palm portion to receive the open edge of the glove which is slipped onto the fingers and over the palm portion to hold the glove in position and help retain its shape. A simple bead chain or other attachment device may be mounted on an extended portion of the conditioner to allow the device to be hung on a golf bag or the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,642,809, issued to Mayville on Jul. 1, 1997, discloses a foldable case for golf gloves and other accessories wherein a pair of gloves, possibly in a damp condition, are interleaved between absorbent surfaces, without exposure to the open air, so as to be dried without risk of over-drying and the stiffening. The absorbent element placed between the gloves may comprise two layers of absorbent material, joined together along the edges to provide a storage pouch for small items
U.S. Pat. No. 5,983,518, issued to Ellenburg on Nov. 16, 1999, discloses a golf glove drying attachment for a golf cart or a golf bag, intended to improve air circulation through the glove while the user is on the golf course. The glove drying attachment includes a slightly tapered shell for holding the glove, and a clamp for attaching to a golf cart. As the golf cart is driven, wind from the golf cart dries the glove. Alternatively, the shell may include a battery powered fan, and attach to a golf bag.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,371,290, issued to Yearous et al. on Apr. 16, 2002, discloses a reusable package for an athletic glove includes a body made of non-flaccid translucent plastic. The body has two halves joined together along a living hinge, such that the body can be moved between an open configuration, wherein the interior of the package is exposed, and a closed configuration, wherein a glove can be enclosed by the package. To facilitate drying the glove after it is used and then replaced back into the package in a substantially unfolded, relaxed configuration one of the body halves is formed with vent holes. The other body half is formed with a relatively thinner area that functions as a window, with the remainder of the body half being thicker than the window.
While these patents and other previous methods have attempted to solve the problems that they addressed, none have utilized or disclosed a glove shaper kit having both merchandizing, drying and forming elements, as does embodiments of the present invention.
Therefore, a need exists for a glove shaper kit with these attributes and functionalities. The glove shaper kit according to embodiments of the invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art. It can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a new and improved glove shaper kit which can be used commercially. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills these objectives.
The foregoing patent and other information reflect the state of the art of which the inventor is aware and are tendered with a view toward discharging the inventor's acknowledged duty of candor in disclosing information that may be pertinent to the patentability of the present invention. It is respectfully stipulated, however, that the foregoing patent and other information do not teach or render obvious, singly or when considered in combination, the inventor's claimed invention.